


Fire Flowers

by gilswaifu (Resident_of_Fiction)



Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Kiritsugu Shirou and Illya are there too, it's summer in the southern hemisphere i guess?, yes this is a secret santa fic that takes place in the summer but well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28515015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resident_of_Fiction/pseuds/gilswaifu
Summary: The Emiya family goes to a summer fireworks festival. Artoria invites Diarmuid along as well.
Relationships: Diarmuid Ua Duibhne | Lancer/Artoria Pendragon | Saber
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	Fire Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amuk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amuk/gifts).



> Happy Holidays! This was written for Amuk for the Fateverse Holiday Gift Exchange 2021. I hope you like it!

It was Irisviel who first heard about the Fuyuki summer fireworks festival. Artoria was not surprised in the least that she’d immediately decided they were all attending. The next week was spent shopping and waiting in anticipation, with excited buzzing throughout the Emiya house.

It was then a few days before the event that Artoria approached the woman in question as she was reading yet another brochure. “Lady Irisviel… May I ask you a favor?”

Instantly dropping her small book of info on various festivals, Irisivel said, "Of course, Saber! Anything!”

“Might I… invite Lancer along with us? His Master and Mistress don’t allow him to have many days off, even now that the war has been over for some time, but…”

Irisviel smiled with some other emotion that wasn’t immediately clear. She laughed. “Yes, I think you should do that,” she said. “I’m sure it would make him very happy.”

When the day did finally come, the Emiya family—now a group of five when it had been three only six months ago—with Diarmuid in tow arrived at a hillside near the river, on the outskirts of Shinto. The hot summer evening was alive with music and cheerful voices. Warm bright lanterns illuminated the park in front of them, with hanging decorations, stalls, and outfits splashing their rainbow of colors into the mix as well. The scents of the various food options created an aroma acting as a haze of delight encompassing the entire area. 

“A real festival!” Irisviel declared, clapping her hands together with an awed look on her face. “Yes, this is just how I hoped it would be.” She was dressed in a floral pink yukata she’d bought just for the occasion. The fabric was still new, the pink hydrangea pattern bright and crisp. Her hair was tied in a beautiful updo, held together with a matching hydrangea pin.

Artoria snapped out of her mouthwatering smell-induced haze and said, “This is certainly quite a gathering. It’s not that similar, yet it does remind me a bit of the celebrations we had in my time,” she said. The black suit she’d worn during the war had been replaced with a long airy dark skirt and a short-sleeved light blouse. 

“I was thinking the same thing,” said Diarmuid next to her. With his new clothes he seemed to blend right into the modern world. He was dressed fairly professionally for the event; his forest green dress shirt was well-ironed but not stiff, allowing him a casualness to his appearance despite the outfit. He had the sleeves buttoned-up to the elbows, exposing his muscular forearms. His black slacks similarly walked the line between formal and informal. Artoria thought it was fitting for a man who was most at home in nature and yet was now in the service of a prominent mage.

Illya had eyes wide with excitement, but she still stuck closely to her father’s plain faded yukata. Being around so many strangers could be scary for any child, nonetheless one who had lived completely sheltered until recently.

Then there was Shirou, practically swinging with energy holding Kiritsugu’s hand. Despite the fact his original parents had died in an accident not that long ago, he seemed to fit right into the Emiya family like he was there all along. “Let’s go!” he said. 

Kiritsugu gave a small laugh. “Yes, we’re going, we’re going,” he said, starting to walk forward. The warm relaxed expression he wore now was nothing Artoria could have imagined from him when she was first summoned.

As the family began walking towards the entrance, Irisviel stopped, turned around, and took Artoria’s hand. “I almost forgot,” she said, giving her a coin purse. “Just in case we get separated and you want something to eat. Feel free to spend all of it. It’s really no trouble.” 

Artoria gave her thanks and Irisviel went back to walk with the others. Once she was gone, Artoria opened the purse and widened her eyes at the amount. “She is really too kind…” she said with a light sigh. 

“Well,” said Diarmuid. “Shall we follow them?”

They went through the entrance together, both of their eyes wandering through the unfamiliar sights, as well as the massive amount of families and couples that seemed to be here. Children were running around in masks with toys held high above their heads, not seeming to pay notice to any adults they might be getting in the way of. 

“It’s very crowded,” Artoria said, furrowing her brow as she was just barely able to avoid colliding with another man. 

“It is,” Diarmuid agreed, practically gleaming. 

Artoria spotted Irisviel and the rest buying cotton candy at a stall a short distance away. Her mouth opened as she locked eyes with the fluffy sugary treat. She had entered targeting mode.

“Would you like some, Saber?” Diarmuid asked. 

Artoria cleared her throat. “It would be a waste not to try it while we’re here,” she said.

They went over to the stand as well. Artoria took out the coin purse. “May I have two of these treats please?” she asked the worker.

Diarmuid took his wallet from his pocket, but Artoria shook her head. “You are my guest. For this, at least, I would like to treat you,” she said.

The man looked between her and Diarmuid and gave them a confident smile. “Two cotton candies coming up for the lady and her date,” he said.

“Her what?” asked Artoria. 

Irisviel, standing nearby, giggled.

Diarmuid gave a light shrug. “It must be a modern word the grail didn’t teach us.”

They received their cotton candies and went over to where the rest of their group was sitting at a picnic table. Kiritsugu and Illya were on one side, with Irisviel and Shirou on the other. Both benches looked to have room for one more person. 

“Saber! Come here!” Shirou said.

Without a second thought, Artoria slid into the side with the mom and son duo. Diarmuid remained standing, avoiding eye contact with Kiritsugu. 

“Oh!” Artoria exclaimed after taking a bite. “It’s very sweet!”

“It’s incredible!” Irisviel exclaimed. “It’s soft at first, like the name would suggest, then after only a moment it melts completely in your mouth!” She took another bite.

Illya and Shirou seemed to be enjoying it as well, eating theirs so fast they were sure to get a stomach ache later. Kiritsugu was eating slower but seemed to be enjoying himself just as much.

Artoria looked to Diarmuid and watched as he took a small and hesitant bite. “It’s good,” he said, a smile replacing any apprehension that had been showing before. “So this is what sugar is like. It is quite remarkable indeed. To think in our time a mere taste of sugar would have been beyond our understanding, and here is an entire ball of it.”

Something in what he said had bothered her. “Have you not tried much of modern food since you’ve been summoned? It’s been almost six months since the war ended.”

“Ah… Well, since we are still Servants that do not require nourishment, my Master thought it was unnecessary and wasteful for me to have anything. Though back during the war he did have me eat a piece of one of Caster’s monsters because he thought it might increase my magical energy.” The memory of the last part seemed to be enough for him to grimace at the cotton candy and slightly push it away.

Artoria felt her dislike of Kayneth begin to swell. “I see…” she said. “Well there is plenty to try here. Lady Irisviel has given me this money to use as I see fit, so I shall spend it trying various treats with you.”

A softer and gentler smile now came to his face. “Thank you,” he said.

Artoria’s heart sped up a bit. How strange… her magic resistance should still be protecting her from his curse. 

They kept eating, with Illya even letting Artoria try some of the different flavor she got. Once they had all finished, they got up and kept moving, but only walked around a few minutes before stopping again. A rich, belly-filling smell accompanied by a beautiful sizzling noise preventing Artoria, Shirou, and Illya from moving any further like they were trapped in a bounded field. The only such culprit could be something fried.

“Okonomiyaki,” Kiritsugu said. “I think you would like it, Iri. And that cotton candy certainly wasn’t enough for dinner. How about we have some of this?”

There was unanimous agreement on that front. Diarmuid took out his wallet once again, but this time it was Irisviel who shook her head. “Let Kiritsugu do this. He may not say anything about it, but, well…” She gave an apologetic grin and looked at the back of her husband, who paid for the food with no indication he could hear them.

With an unsteady glance at the couple, Diarmuid lowered his head like he was going to kneel for a bow before remembering such a thing would be conspicuous here. Instead, he simply said, “Thank you. You honor me and my lord with your kindness, even if it is unnecessary.” 

Soon, several fluffy savory pancakes were cooked to order, covered with a drizzle of mayonnaise and other toppings. The aroma of the finished product was even stronger than when it was cooking. The group moved off to the side of the crowded path, not even waiting until the treat had cooled before digging in.

While the others began eating, before Diarmuid could even take so much as a bite he had to fend off a few curse-stricken women who approached him asking for his phone number. By the time that was over Artoria had eaten more than half of hers. “How does this fare?” he asked.

“Excellent,” she said, then blew on another piece to cool it down before putting it into her mouth. She was so focused on eating it seemed that was the only answer she could give at the moment.

Diarmuid began eating his as well. “Though the ingredients and the taste are different, the fact that this contains wheat makes it feel familiar. Certainly more than the cotton candy. Hm, yes, I would say I like this a lot.”

Now completely finished, Artoria nodded. “You put it rather well.”

Despite not being finished with their own okonomiyaki yet, Illya and Shirou seemed keen to move on and keep looking around. “I’m sorry Saber,” Irisiviel said, as she was being pulled. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to stay in any one place for very long. We’ll meet up again in a bit, alright?”

“Yes, don’t concern yourself with waiting for me. I hope you are able to have fun together.”

The rest of the family took off and she turned back to Diarmuid, who for some reason was giving a concerned glance towards the ground. “Is something the matter?” she asked.

He shook his head. “It is nothing worth mentioning. I just wonder… is it truly alright for me to be here with the rest of you? Am I not getting in the way of your time spent with your Master?”

“Not at all. I am hardly here to spend time with _that man_ anyway,” she said. "As for the others, I am living with them now, and we all get plenty of time together day to day. Regardless of that, though… I invited you here because I wanted to. We did not get the honor of finishing our duel during the war, but now that our spirits are trapped in this era for the time being, nothing would give me greater pleasure than spending time with you, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.”

The soft smile he had before returned, and his cheeks began to look the same color as the sweet treat he’d had not long ago. “Thank you. Your words are extremely kind. More so than a mere knight like me might deserve,” he said.

“Well that is just utter nonsense,” Artoria said. “You are one of the finest knights I’ve ever faced in battle. Have you forgotten the times you have bested me? I do not wish to brag, but that is not an easy feat. Your knack for strategy, as well as your strength and speed, are simply remarkable. You can wield your two lances better than most can ever wield one.

“Besides your skills with the spear,” she continued before he could interrupt, “I respect your sense of honor and chivalry, and, frankly, I appreciate your respect for me as a king. Though not unexpected, I’ve found recently that many others seem to disagree with my ideals…” She shook her head and looked back to him. “You are also simply a pleasant person.”

“Are you certain you are not the one famous for their charms?” Diarmuid teased with a grin. Though still blushing, his eyes were full of kindness. “You certainly know just the right thing to say.”

“Historically that has not been the case for me. However, you are quite easy to talk to, perhaps because I am not your king.” 

With one more fond look at her, he turned back to his okonomiyaki.

Diarmuid continued eating, with Artoria standing by his side watching the crowds pass as she waited for him to finish. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Memories came flooding back to her. The celebrations she’d attended as a young girl, the Christmases where she’d eat and dance and sing with everyone else. And then there was the sword in the stone, and the Christmases after where she stood and watched, observed her people do those same things, where she’d take the plainest and smallest cut of meat, as the people around her drank and celebrated to their hearts’ content.

Opening her eyes again, she saw Diarmuid next to her, close to done with his food; his famous beauty bathed in the various colors of light shining all around them. The way he ate, he was unconcerned with manners—not unexpected for a Celtic knight—but yet his movements were so graceful and precise, Artoria could see why so many would fall for him, even without a curse. Why that thought came to her mind just now she couldn’t say.

He finished his last bite, licking his lips and swiping the back of his thumb across them. Crumbling his paper plate, he dropped it in a nearby trash can and asked, “Is there anything you would like to do?”

Artoria looked around and spotted some carnival games down the aisle of stands. “What would you say about continuing our duel off the battlefield? Though not as honorable as a fight to the death, these games here seem to require some amount of skill and dexterity.”

Diarmuid nodded. “An excellent idea,” he said.

They went back into the crowd, walking until they came across a shooting game. A few children ran away just as they approached, laughing and clutching their prizes in hand. The booth had several shelves of prizes ranging from candy to figures to stuffed animals. Artoria saw Diarmuid’s eyes scan the shelves, lighting up as they made contact with a toy plush dog. 

Diarmuid then picked up one of the guns sitting on the ledge and turned it over in his hands. “Despite being given the knowledge of how to use these, I have never seen one up close. Although I’m sure you have, as your Master is very fond of these types of weapons.”

Artoria sighed. “Yes, he is,” she said flatly. She leaned over to look more closely at the gun. “Is it safe to have such a deadly weapon used for a mere child’s game?”

The teenager running the booth, sweating from the summer heat and the bright lights, gave them a strange look. “Um… they’re not real. They just shoot corks. If you can hit the prize with the cork it’s yours,” he said.

“I see.” Artoria picked up one of the other guns. She held it at arms’ length and nodded to herself, before she two began twisting it in her hands. “It’s very light. I assume that is because it is made out of plastic as opposed to metal. And the way you hold it…. This is not a weapon that can be used as an extension of one’s own body.”

“Indeed,” Diarmuid said. He tried lifting it up in aiming position at the prizes, tilting his head and adjusting the distance of the gun from his chest. 

The game operator shifted around uncomfortably and stared at them in confusion. “If you want to play, that’s two hundred yen each. Otherwise, could you step aside please? There are other people who would like a turn.”

“Ah,” said both Artoria and Diarmuid, looking behind them to see three or four people who looked like they were starting to get impatient.

“My apologies, sir,” the former said with a slight bow. She looked back to Diarmuid. “Well? Shall we see who shall be the victor of that toy dog?” 

Diarmuid looked a bit surprised but gave a small laugh and nodded. “Yes, a fair wager indeed, Saber,” he said.

They paid the fee and took up arms, standing so close side-by-side they were practically touching. 

“Though we are both already experts of sword and spear, I don’t suppose this will allow us to qualify for the Archer class,” Artoria said.

“We certainly shall see,” Diarmuid responded. After flicking his eyes back to her one more time, he took his first shot. It missed, just barely, hitting the wooden ledge right below the dog instead. It was much closer than would be expected of someone who’d never held any sort of gun before, but that was warrior’s instinct and the Grail’s knowledge for you.

Artoria narrowed her eyes, aiming the barrel right at the nose of the dog. With the same amount of concentration she would use for a mana burst, she pulled the trigger. Another miss, this one going slightly too far to the right and passing by the dog entirely.

Not wasting any time, she reloaded her weapon, fired her next shot, and— 

“Holy shit…” muttered the game operator. 

Artoria’s cork had collided with Diarmuid’s own second shot, knocking each other off path, leading to another miss.

“Has your aim improved so much in just one shot?” Artoria said, putting in another cork.

“Alas, I am not that skilled,” Diarmuid said, reloading his own gun. “It was pure chance.”

Still, both of their shots had seemed to be on aim to hit the target if they hadn’t hit each other first. They were clearly getting better as they went along with this, and with one more shot one of them should be able to do it. It just came down to who could shoot first.

Artoria kept her gaze firmly on the toy as she raised to shoot once more, listening to the sounds of Diarmuid raising his as well. They would end up firing at nearly the same time again. The barrel only wavered once or twice before steadying right in the goal zone. And with that, quick as her fingers could, she fired her third shot. And according to her ears, Diarmuid had done the same.

Observing the half a millisecond as only a trained warrior could, Artoria watched both corks fly towards the toy, nearly identical in their path. They were both close now, soon to hit. The one that would get there first was— 

The soft thud of the cork hitting the stuffed dog was not nearly loud or intense enough to portray the atmosphere that had just occurred. Nevertheless, the teenage boy on the other side of the booth clapped his hands together. 

“We have a winner!” he said. He walked to the back where the prizes were and removed the dog—judging by its color and the shape of its plush head, it was probably meant to resemble a greyhound—from its perch and brought it back over to the contestants. 

He stuck it over the counter. “For you, Miss,” he said.

“Thank you,” Artoria said, smiling as she took it from him. It was soft, in both the texture of its fur and how it was stuffed.

“Congratulations,” Diarmuid said earnestly, placing the gun back in its place. “It was a fair duel but you have bested me. I suppose you are the one who shall be summoned in the Archer class next time.”

They walked away from the booth, their place immediately taken by others behind them. 

“Simple luck,” disputed Artoria. “There is little room in such a game for strategy.” 

She tilted her head, and with a simple satisfied smile to herself she stuck out the dog towards him. “Please take this,” she said.

“But you won it fairly.”

“I only picked this as the prize because you seemed fond of it.”

Having no counterargument to that, Diarmuid took it from her and held it lovingly. He played with its ears between his fingers and said, “Thank you, truly. It reminded me of the dog I had when I was alive. I would like to properly repay you someway.”

He stopped walking as they passed a stand selling various masks. Some were traditional designs, some animals, and others characters from children’s television shows. “Would you like one of these?” he asked.

“If you are going to insist on buying me one anyway…” She picked up a lion mask. “This one seems nice.” 

Diarmuid pulled out his wallet and paid the man standing nearby as Artoria put on the mask. “It looks lovely. I think it suits you very well,” he said after turning back to her.

His compliment made her chest swell again. Why… she had never cared when someone complimented her like this before. “Thank you,” she said, turning it to the side of her head to see. “Shall we move on to the next game?”

They went goldfish-scooping next. Unlike the shooting game, though...

“Ah, this is much more difficult than it looks,” Diarmuid said with a wince as his third scooper broke, letting his captured fish escape to freedom. Well, momentary freedom before it was caught again by someone else.

“Ha!” Artoria cried as swung in with another fierce scoop. It cupped a panicking fish for only a moment before the paper burst, and Artoria’s arm finished its swing with nothing to show for it. 

She fell to her knees. “Utter defeat… I have been bested by the fragility of these scoops.”

Diarmuid raised a hand to his face to stifle a fit of laughter, turning away as his shoulders trembled with mirth.

Artoria frowned and folded her arms. “Does my failure amuse you, Lancer?”

He shook his head and looked back to her. “No, no. My apologies. It was just… a rarer side of you. It’s rather cute.”

Her face now felt rather hot. “Not you too… Lady Irisviel already insists on teasing me in such a way,” she sighed.

Diarmuid picked up another scoop (his last for what they paid), and said, “I see. I meant no offense, but I will refrain from referring to you in such a way from now on… Oh?” While he was talking, he had made his final attempt, and now held a flailing goldfish. 

“I’m impressed,” Artoria said. “It seems you are the one who has bested me this time.”

They got the fish wrapped to be taken home in a plastic bag full of water. Diarmuid held it up to stare at the creature swimming around, then handed it towards Artoria. “This will make a nice gift to your Master’s children,” he said. “I’m afraid if I give it to my lord it will only end up the victim of some mage experiment.”

“You should be the one to give it to them. They will appreciate it just the same. If you are worried about their opinion of you, you need not be," she said. “Though it might not be obvious from their excitement, they seem rather comfortable being around you despite not knowing you very well.”

“I was a father of four children,” he said, eyes full of a longing bittersweet nostalgia. “Though the circumstances… Well, anyway, I suppose I am simply used to being around them. They might be picking up on that. You seem rather well with them too. They treat you like you like a member of their own family. You also… You’ve already spent much time with them at this point, so I understand.”

Artoria smiled and nodded, thankful that he had not asked a question she didn’t want to answer. “Yes…The days seem to pass quickly. It’s been rather nice.”

Diarmuid looked like he was going to say something else when a voice called out to them.

“Oh Saber! There you are!” Irisviel came running over towards them. A few strands of her updo had come loose, creating a cloud of silver around her head. 

“Lady Irisviel,” Artoria said, gripping Irisviel’s arm to steady her as the latter ran out of breath. “Is everything alright?” 

Once she’d recovered, Irisviel grabbed Artoria’s hand and started to pull her in the direction she’d just come from. “Yes, everything’s wonderful!” she exclaimed. "Shirou and Illya got these little yo-yo balloons filled with water. They’re having so much fun playing with them! Kiritsugu won them some prizes too. Oh and I got to try shaved ice! It’s very cold but also sweet!”

“I’m glad you’ve been able to enjoy yourself,” said Artoria as she was dragged along. “But… might I ask where you’re taking me?”

“The fireworks should be starting soon, so I thought we should all get together and watch them. Oh, but we still have a little time, and there’s another snack I thought you’d like to try.”

They swam back through the crowd, with Diarmuid following close behind them. The sun was indeed beginning to set, and more people than ever seemed to be bustling about, searching for good viewpoints to watch where the fireworks were going to be set off.

Kiritsugu and the kids were waiting for them by another food stand, sharing a basket of the treat in question between them. 

As the scent hit her, Artoria perked up again, already feeling her stomach beginning to growl despite having eaten not that long ago. 

“They’re octopus pieces fried in little balls,” Irisviel said. 

Artoria nodded, looking at the booth where the person was preparing a fresh batch. The banner at the top said “takoyaki”, and a sign underneath listed a few different types for sale. Her eyes were drawn to the one at the bottom of the list, with the image of several chili peppers surrounding it, and the label reading “Hot!”. 

She looked to Diarmuid and saw him standing by Illya and Shirou. “Would the two of you be interested in this fish?” he asked them, holding out the bag.

They both cheered. Shirou looked to Kiritsugu, who nodded, but Illya took it in her hands without even bothering to check. The goldfish was swimming in circles, unaware it had changed owners.

“Thank you, Mr. Lancer,” Illya said, with Shirou adding his own thank you as well.

Diarmuid smiled. “Make sure to take good care of it. It needs to be properly cared for. Even a tiny fish is a big responsibility.”

The two children nodded. 

“We can stop off at the store to buy supplies on our way home,” Kiritsugu said. He looked at Diarmuid, whose smile turned a bit awkward in return.

“Lancer…” said Artoria, pointing to the spicy takoyaki listing. “What do you say about making this our tie-breaker challenge?”

Diarmuid looked at the label and considered, folding his arms. His stuffed dog from earlier was tucked in his elbow. “Food with a taste that hurts you… I have heard my Master complain about it. I would say I am fairly curious to try it myself,” he said.

“I have had some since my summoning here, but it was all relatively mild. I’m interested to try this as well.”

“Oh, a contest?” Irisviel asked, practically fluttering with excitement. “That sounds like fun. I can’t handle spicy food, but I’m excited to watch!”

Artoria ordered the hottest option of takoyaki, and in a minute she was holding a paper basket filled with ten little battered balls. They were warm, heating her hand through the paper, cooked to a beautiful golden brown and covered with sauce and spices. The smell of them stung her nose along with making her mouth water. 

She and Diarmuid each took a piece with a toothpick. “The one who stops first shall lose. Or otherwise, the one who eats more shall win,” the former said.

“Yes, that works,” said Diarmuid. “Shall we?”

The rest of the Emiya family watched as they raised the takoyaki to their mouths. “Ready, go!” called Irisviel, cupping her mouth with her hands.

They both took a bite.

“Mm!”

“ _M-mm…!_ ”

Artoria’s mouth filled with an unfamiliar pain. She was burning, her mouth was on fire. Her eyes pricked with tears. And yet, the taste was exquisite. Absolutely delicious. Chewy and soft, fluffy and spicy. But still, it hurt so much she wasn’t sure how much more she’d be able to eat.

Though, Diarmuid appeared to be worse off. His eyes were also watering, and his face was flushed red. He swallowed and coughed, holding a hand over the bottom of his face and sniffing. 

“Too much for you to handle?” Artoria teased, picking up a second piece. 

Diarmuid shook his head, forcing a grin on his face and shakily taking another one as well. “It was a surprise,” he said, voice raspy. “However, it is nothing I can’t handle.”

Artoria’s second bite hurt more than her first. The pain compounded. What was before just a few spots on her tongue now coated the roof of her mouth and her throat as well. But the taste was just as good. If she could just focus on that… 

“Ugh…” Diarmuid swallowed, wincing. His tears had spilled over and were running down his face. He held out his toothpick to pick up another, but hesitated.

Not letting that opportunity pass by, Artoria quickly grabbed another. Her mouth was getting numb. She could barely focus on what was in front of her. Yet she could do this. Even as the white-hot spiciness caused her own tears to fall, she was starting to feel like she wanted more. If she just ate another one before she could simmer in the pain too much, the delicious flavor would allow her to go faster, and she could win.

She took her fourth as Diarmuid took his third. They were getting close to the end. Diarmuid looked like he was nearing his limit. Still, despite her strategy, she couldn’t last much longer herself. 

Shirou and Illya cheered them on, continuing to eat their own non-spicy takoyaki.

Artoria could barely see over her tears, her face and lips burning now along with her mouth. Despite how good it tasted, she wasn’t sure she could handle any more. If it was any other sort of pain she could handle it. She was a knight, and a king. She was not weak. But this was still new, and she had no tolerance. The idea of losing in a battle of food frustrated her, but there was nothing to be done. Her toothpick trembled just above a fifth piece. With reluctance she stabbed it in and brought it close to her mouth. No, it was too much. There was no way she could. “I…”

“Concede,” Diarmuid said. He coughed again, his voice jagged and brow knit with pain. His flushed face was shiny with sweat and his eyes were slightly swollen from the tears. It was not a look Artoria had seen on him before. So vulnerable and uncomposed… What had he said about her before? A rarer side… It was… 

“Saber wins!” Irisviel cheered.

Grateful she didn’t have to eat another bite (though she might try again another time), Artoria breathed a sigh of relief. She traded the basket with Irisviel, who offered her a napkin and a plastic cup full of water. Not wasting any time, she gulped down the water and cleaned off her face with the napkin. Her mouth still felt like the Battle of Camlann, but the pain was slowly dissipating. “You did well, Lancer,” she said. Her voice was pretty hoarse herself.

He wiped himself down as well after drinking his own cup. “In my life I participated in many drinking and eating competitions with my fellow knights, but this was by far the most interesting one, despite my loss.” He started laughing, and this time made no effort to stop it.

Oh, the word was cute.

As she came to this realization, an announcement came over the loudspeaker stating the fireworks would start in five minutes.

“Oh, quickly, let’s go!” Irisviel said, grabbing both of them. 

The party of six walked a bit more, leaving the densely-packed booths and finding an empty spot on the nearby hill. It was still crowded, but now they had an unobstructed view. The chattering excitement of the crowd was reaching a peak. Laughter and cheers surrounded them from every direction.

That was all merely a backdrop as Artoria stood there thinking. She’d always known Diarmuid was beautiful and charming. She thought of those models she’d seen on advertisements around the city, styled and posed to catch one’s eye and draw them in. That was his curse after all. But that couldn’t be what this was. She didn’t feel her heart flutter and pull towards him upon their first meeting, the way Irisviel had described his curse as working, but that seemed to be what was happening now. 

The first of the fireworks went off, shooting overhead and exploding into a yellow flower of light. It reminded her of Excalibur’s glow. A shining warmth that filled her heart. A warmth...

A second and third firework followed suit, of blue and green this time.

Artoria watched, her eyes wide, and smiled to herself. So that was it. A feeling she’d stamped down in her original life. One she had only just begun to feel for Guinevere before it was too late.

She wasn’t a fool. She must have known it somewhere in her the moment she’d asked Irisviel if it was alright to invite him. The Grail had been the only thing that had mattered to her. But the Grail was gone, and they were still here. 

The fireworks continued with deafening bursts, the crowd and Emiya family alike cheering at the gorgeous display. Artoria looked away from the sky to the profile of Diarmuid’s face. Any physical traces of their competition earlier were gone, leaving just his handsome features. She looked into his golden eyes, with the colorful explosions above reflecting off of them. 

He noticed her gaze and met it with his own.

Artoria was certain her newfound feelings were showing on her face, and from the way Diarmuid looked at her now, she knew he felt the same way. 

The fireworks continued around them, but for the rest of the show, all they could look at was each other.


End file.
